Spy Phones

[BZROM]

Your Android Phone Is Secretly Recording Everything You Do
Carrier IQ

[hitchcockgreen]

That isn't exactly true. It isn't android, but a couple of service providers/carriers in the U.S. that are doing it. As well, it was found a couple of Nokia phone models, and this also used to be an issue with iPhones.
The rootkit was found in the carrier's rom, not the android sourcecode.

Me, I don't use a carrier-specific ROM. I use an AOSP rom, which is strictly the open source code with driver and code changes to accommodate my handset.

[BZROM]

Carrier IQ: How to detect it on an Android device

[hitchcockgreen]

Ha. I like how in this article Verizon says they didn't use the rootkit, and yet it was revealed that they did indeed have it installed with their firmware.

[FirBirGir]

Only admit the truth when you're neck is through the noose...

All the carriers are using this and it's nothing to do with android. What's interesting is that the carriers actually have more information on you from the actual traffic from your phone than from a piece of spyware. Every text you send, every call you make, every website you visit, every photo you share is accessible by your carrier. Much of this logging and tracking is required by law so law enforcement can subpoena it at a later date.

If you don't trust the carrier with this data about you, you're only choice is not have a cell phone...

[hitchcockgreen]

Only two US carriers were caught with this particular root kit.
ANY ISP logs your activity whether it's on your mobile or your internet connection at home.

I don't have the root kit mentioned above or any others because I don't use my carriers stock firmware. I've been using community-developed ROMs based on the AOSP. Source code is free to view, download, compile and alter by anyone.

Additionally, at least on Android it's pretty easy to install the tor client and have all your network services run through a proxy.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

[FirBirGir]

Of the carriers, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T admitted to using it. Apple also uses it on all models but the 4s (which means they probably use a different product to do the same thing).

Most of the manufacturers said they included it when the carriers requested it.

Eddy

[hitchcockgreen]

Most of the manufacturers said they included it when the carriers requested it.

Eddy

Which, as I stated before, is precisely why I use custom AOSP roms.